


A bleeding heart isn't so bad

by sarcasmismyweapon



Series: 2019 ninja games reward fics [4]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Adorable, Anniversary, Cute, Drunken Confessions, F/M, Fluff, Gift Fic, M/M, Mutual Pining, One Shot, Pining, Sarcasm, Sharingan, abuse to bookshelves, misuse of sharingan, reward fic, rewardfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-22
Updated: 2019-12-22
Packaged: 2021-02-26 02:06:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,868
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21904087
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sarcasmismyweapon/pseuds/sarcasmismyweapon
Summary: Kakashi refuses to admit let alone seek out and confess to Iruka how he feels about the man. Iruka's prepared to remain silent about his feelings for the Jounin. Kurenai and Asuma's anniversary prompts everyone to go out drinking one night and when Kakashi takes Iruka home after the Chunin's had a few too many they both are surprised by what the Chunin reveals.
Relationships: Hatake Kakashi & Sarutobi Asuma, Hatake Kakashi & Umino Iruka, Hatake Kakashi & Yuuhi Kurenai, Sarutobi Asuma & Umino Iruka, Sarutobi Asuma/Yuuhi Kurenai, Umino Iruka & Yuuhi Kurenai
Series: 2019 ninja games reward fics [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1577806
Comments: 4
Kudos: 31





	A bleeding heart isn't so bad

**Author's Note:**

  * For [DaileyMadison1809](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DaileyMadison1809/gifts).

> Here's Daileymadison1809's reward fic, they wanted Iruka to drunkenly confess to Kakashi and confess he does also there's abuse to a bookcase XD. 
> 
> Also, thank you for all your concern about my mother. There were a few bumps along the way but her heart surgery went well and she's now home.

Iruka sucked in a sharp breath, barely managing to cut off a shrill scream when he was so abruptly startled. Releasing the breath which he’d held tight in his own lungs, the Chunin glowered at the reason for all of his hyperventilation. “Really?”

“Hmm?” The Jounin in question smirked even as he continued to fiddle with the plastic kunai, twirling it around his finger.

Iruka shook his head a small smirk coming to his face regardless of his being ‘angry’ with the culprit. “You can’t just say hmm after scaring me like that.”

“I can’t?” The silver-haired man tilted his head even as he caught the kunai in his hand and allowed Iruka to have all of his attention. “I’m pretty sure I already did.”

Iruka sighed, well any rebuttal he might come up with would be rather pointless given how Kakashi was acting. “Can I help you with something?” Even as he asked this question of the intruder to his classroom, Iruka retrieved what he’d been looking for, in the process shoving Kakashi out of the closet. Then twisting about to snatch the plastic kunai from the man so he could toss it back in the box where it belonged for the students to use. Once he’d gotten the supplies he’d gone to retrieve did he shut the closet that the man had been hiding inside of. “And do I really want to know what you were doing in there?” He stated skeptically.

“I was waiting for you, of course.” Kakashi smiled.

“Uh-huh. Because when you’re waiting for someone a closet is the best place.”

“I think it is.”

Iruka shook his head as he turned and headed back towards his desk to begin gathering his things now that the day was done. “And the reason you’re here in the first place?”

“I missed you?”

Iruka smirked, it was nice to hear even if the man was disingenuous. “That’s nice.” Iruka tapped a pile of papers on the desk to make sure all the papers were lined up before shoving them into a folder and finally into the drawer of his desk.

Kakashi sighed when Iruka stopped playing along, instead going about his normal duties when he was preparing to leave the school. Kakashi secretly hated it when Iruka ignored him like this, but luckily the Jounin was quite adept in striking up a conversation with the man. “Soo...That Yamanaka kid looks like he’s going to fail.”

Iruka sputtered, his head snapping back with an audible crack of his neck with his haste to shout. “What?! How di-” Iruka scowled when all at once his cut off question was answered for himself, by himself in a droll tone. “Seriously?”

“Hmm?” Kakashi smiled back at the man, innocent on all things.

Iruka pointed sharply at the man and in the process releasing his paperwork to fall into disarray on his desk. “You’ve been lurking about again...Don’t you have work?” Even as he said it the Chunin realized how stupid that question was only to look down and pout at the state of his paperwork, Iruka shook his head. “Nevermind...Of course, you have work, you’re just not doing it.” Iruka smirked knowingly at the now pouting Jounin as he went about gathering the papers once more.

“Mean, so very very mean sensei.”

Iruka rolled his eyes as Kakashi as he began to complain, picking up his satchel the Chunin stuffed the papers he needed into his bag, Iruka shouldered the bag and headed for the doorway all the while aware that he was being followed.

“You know there are simpler ways of going home.”

Iruka smirked, this wasn’t the first nor the last time he was going to hear this argument. “Some people don’t feel the need to use jutsu’s to go across town.” The long drawn out sigh that earned him had Iruka chuckling. Canting his head to the side, he finally addressed the man. “What are you up to today?”

Kakashi was strolling beside him, hands shoved into his pockets like he always did as they exited the school and started down the well-worn path through the village. “Well, I think that’s pretty obvious don’t you? I came to talk to you.”

“Mmhmm, very obvious,” Iruka smirked when his sass got him a pouty look from the Jounin.

“So mean,” Kakashi complained once more, though he was smiling the entire time. “If you must know-”

“I must.”

Kakashi huffed. “As I was saying...If you must know, I have come with an invitation.”

Iruka chuckled. “Uh-huh, and just who sent this invitation and what is it for? And for that matter why did it require you to lurk around the school and hide in a closet?”

Kakashi gave a pleased nod to Iruka’s questions but chose to ignore the majority of them in favor of replying. “The invitation comes from Kurenai.”

“Alright...So it’s real.”

Kakashi gasped, pulling a hand from a pocket to lay it over his chest in a scandalized motion. “I’m hurt.”

“So what does Kurenai wish to invite me to?” Iruka glossed right over the man’s dramatics.

Kakashi chuckled at how flawlessly Iruka was at ignoring some of his mannerisms, not taking the man’s ability to dismiss him so easily as anything other than a noble skill, Kakashi answered the man. “Ah, well you see it’s Asuma and her’s anniversary tomorrow night.”

Iruka paused in the middle of the street as he thought about it, it was surprising to know that he’d nearly forgot something like that, then turning to stare at Kakashi in some confusion. “They’re inviting me to their anniversary party through you?”

“Eh.” Kakashi waved the one hand he still had outside of his pocket’s in a so-so gesture. “More of a quiet night at a bar with friends...No real partying to be had this year.”

Iruka smirked. “Alright. Well, you can tell her that I will be there, just tell me when and where.”

Kakashi gave a brisk nod. “Great! She’ll be happy to hear that, I think she was worried you might be busy what with your brat’s exams being next week.”

Iruka glowered back at the Jounin. “They’re not brats.”

Kakashi made a questionable face, one that could be pulled off even with his mask still in place. Iruka sighed, some fights weren’t worth pursuing. “Just let her know that I’ll be there.”

“Alright.” Kakashi gave a nod. “Then I suppose I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Sounds good.” Iruka took a step forward, assured that Kakashi was going to go off on his merry way now that his mission had been completed. That is until the man had one final thing to say to him.

“Don’t worry about the Yamanaka, he’s been lagging behind all week. See you tomorrow.”

Iruka spun around. “WHAT?!” Flushed, breathing hard the Chunin winced when he realized how loud he’d just been in the center of town where people were now staring at him. Damn Kakashi. Smiling at the groups of people who had paused what they were doing to give him odd looks, Iruka quickly continued on his way all the while muttering. 

“Damn it Kakashi, that’s not funny.” Even as he complained Iruka smirked to himself, shaking his head. He knew, of course, that Kakashi would drop by when he had nothing to do...Or when he was avoiding work he should be doing. The Jounin for one reason or another liked to see the progress of his students, or...Perhaps to see him, though Iruka didn’t dare put his hopes on such a thing. They were friends, they were good friends...Anything else was just...Iruka’s imagination playing him the fool.

Sighing, Iruka shook his head once more and continued forward. Best to get home in order to do his grading, once that was done he could figure out how to feel about the prospect of Kakashi stalking his classroom tomorrow.

*********

Kakashi hummed to himself as he came to stand before a door, pulling a hand from his pockets to knock on the door he waited. Ordinarily, he might have just intruded, but he figured that would be rude given what had happened the last time he’d done so. When the door was yanked open from the inside Kakashi was able to give a wave only to sigh when it was slammed shut in his face.

“I deserved that,” Kakashi muttered only to give another weaker wave when the door came open a moment later, a chuckling Asuma staring back at him.

“Still hasn’t forgiven me huh?”

Asuma chuckled around his lit cigarette. “Not really.” He waved the man in, shutting the door behind Kakashi. “To be fair, you should have seen that coming.”

“I did.”

Asuma gave a nod as he pulled his cigarette free of his lips to blow out a long stream of smoke. “So what brings you to face my wife's wrath this evening?”

Kakashi gave the other man a pouty expression but when it got him nowhere he answered the man. “I went and passed on the invitation.”

Asuma chuckled, taking the cigarette back into his lips as he muttered around it. “Yeah, what did he say?”

Kakashi shrugged as he followed Asuma into the living room giving a small wave to Kurenai when the woman sent a glower his way. Seeing that he was still on her shit list, Kakashi turned his focus back onto an amused Asuma. “He lectured me about stalking the school.”

“Is that what you did?” Kurenai interrupted. “Because I don’t blame him, you have a habit of being places you shouldn’t be.”

The bite in the woman’s tone had Kakashi letting out a strained laugh. “Ah...Yeah, a little.” He squeezed to fingers together to show a small gap it earned him a roll of the woman’s eyes. “The point is that I passed on the invitation and he accepted it, all he needs to know is when and where.”

Kurenai frowned back at the Jounin before remarking. “But we told you all of that.”

Asuma chuckled at his wife's confusion and took great pleasure in stating. “He’s just using the fact that he left all that out as an excuse to see Iruka again.” That earned a wry smirk from the kunoichi.

Kakashi coughed a bit. “I simply forgot.” They both gave him a shrewd look, the Jounin huffed. “Whatever...I’ll tell him where and when tomorrow when I see him.”

“Thank you,” Kurenai smirked in a knowing way, amused no doubt at Kakashi’s fumbling.

Kakashi waved the woman off, already well aware of where this teasing could lead. Given how he’d pissed off the kunoichi earlier it was best to get out of the line of fire as soon as possible lest it get mean. “Anyways...Who else is coming?”

“Most people are busy or out of the village with missions,” Kurenai answered simply, smiling when Asuma took a seat next to her and nodded. “Our anniversary seems to come at an unreasonable time in everyone’s schedules.” He remarked coolly only to get elbowed by Kurenai at the same time she sent him an unimpressed look.

“Our anniversary isn’t going to change just because our friends are busy and it’s not convenient.”

Kakashi chuckled. “Might be easier if it did.” Kakashi’s laughter died out as fast as Asuma’s began when Kurenai turned her sights back onto him. “But...Uh, of course, that’s not going to happen.” Reaching back to rub the back of his head Kakashi quickly moved forward. "Anywho...Iruka’s not busy so he’ll be there.”

Kurenai had a tightened expression but she nodded all the same. “Great, well it’s liable to be a small gathering.”

“Is that bad?” 

She shook her head. “Probably for the best given what happened last year.” She chuckled right alongside Asuma.

“Ah yes.” Kakashi nodded when his mind brought forth the memory of the previous year's activities. “I don’t think Raidou was prepared for that.”

Asuma snorted. “No one can be prepared for Genma and lord knows that Raidou’s the best prepared for that job but the fact that the man can still shock him is just a good idea of how crazy Genma is.”

Kakashi shook his head. “Genma’s not crazy...Reckless...A bit carefree with the senbon.” He shrugged. “But not crazy.”

Kurenai raised a brow. “He was so drunk that he started daring people to take shots with him.”

“Everybody’s done shots,” Kakashi concluded.

“Poison shots?” She replied in a calculated manner.

Kakashi hummed then shook his head. “No...No that’s crazy, but to be fair no one actually was going to take him up on that dare.”

Kurenai rolled her eyes. “Of course not, they’re not crazy the fact that Genma actually did one all the while saying that it wouldn’t kill him doesn’t help his case.”

“No, but it did get Raidou’s heart pumping.” Kakashi chuckled.

Asuma snorted. “Just a bit, but I think that’s because the little shit wouldn’t tell him what he’d just downed like a shot of tequila.”

Kakashi smiled beneath his mask at that, the ordeal that poor Raidou had gone through to find out just what his boyfriend had done to himself was comical and also quite insightful into the rest of them. “You realize that none of us tried to help him right?”

Asuma thought about it a moment before remarking. “You’re right.” He chuckled. “We didn’t.”

“Are you sure.” Kurenai frowned a moment as she truly considered last years event. “I could have sworn that someone tried to help him figure it all out. Was it Iruka?”

Kakashi shook his head. “He didn’t stick around last year, had to deal with that mess at the school. But it would be something he would do.” That had all of them nodding.

“Maybe it was Hayate?” Kurenai replied before shaking her head. “Either way, there won’t be a repeat.”

“Only because Genma’s out on a mission.” Asuma chimed in.

Kurenai smiled back at him before reminding her husband. “He promised to make it up to us.” She laughed.

“I pity you.” The couple looked back at Kakashi, the masked man just nodded. “Anytime Genma thinks he owes someone...Well, it’s not pretty.”

“Are you sure? I’m pretty sure he just wanted to take us out to dinner this time.” 

Kakashi arched a brow. “Genma? You think he’d stop at that?”

Kurenai sighed, why it had slipped her mind as to how the Jounin had ‘repaid’ other instances where he wasn’t able to attend important events. “You’re right.”

The downtrodden expression that formed on the woman’s face had Kakashi snickering. “Don’t be so glum Kurenai, I’m sure he’s only going to do something horrible because he cares so much.”

“Get out.”

Kakashi laughed and didn’t take the order to heart even as the kunoichi continued to glare at him, Asuma for his part had just sighed. “Well, at the very least it won't’ be dull.” The smoking nin uttered softly.

“With Genma nothings boring,” Kakashi informed his friend of this well-known fact. “If you’re lucky you can get Raidou to reel him in if he’s not around...” He let it hang.

“So are you bringing Iruka or just stalking him all day to tell him where to be?” Kurenai threw out at the cocky ninja in revenge for his baiting.

Kakashi sputtered, shaking his head. “Kurenai! I do not stalk people.” Based on the derisive noises his friends made, it was clear they didn’t agree. “Mean.” He pouted for all of a minute before replying. “I simply don’t have a lot to do right now and the school is very interesting.”

“You mean a very specific teacher is interesting,” Asuma muttered as he took a drag of his cigarette.

“I didn’t say that.” Kakashi pointed out. “The students are important towards the future of our village and given that they’ll one day be under our-”

“Cut the bullshit Kakashi,” Kurenai stated flatly. “You like Iruka and spend whatever free time you have stalking the school because you find him interesting to watch...And because you’re too much of a coward to just talk to him like any other sane person.”

“We talk.” The Jounin pointed out swiftly.

The couple made a noise that showed that they didn’t care for his rebuttal. “You talk after he finds you hiding out,” Asuma concluded.

“That’s not true.” Kakashi defended himself. “He doesn’t always find me.”

Kurenai snorted at the lame attempt to give a distinction of their meetings. “Right, because that matters. What does Iruka have to say anytime he does catch you?”

Kakashi shrugged. “Nothing much, it doesn’t bother him.” The wry snorts of disbelief had the Jounin quickly amending his statement. “He finds it amusing, unlike you sour bastards.”

“He finds you amusing more like which brings up the question as to why you don’t just say something?”

Kakashi shook his head, his earlier teasing mirth gone as he replied. “It’s just not something that he needs to know.”

Kurenai sighed at how dismissive Kakashi was about his feelings towards the Chunin. “But he li-”

“We’re friends.” Kakashi cut her off sharply. “We’re friends and that’s enough.”

“But it might not be all it could be,” Asuma stated flatly as he tapped the ashes off his cigarette. “Could be something more.” His eyes flickered over towards Kurenai before landing back on the ninja in question, a silent reminder of his own lengthy debate to talk to the person he loved. “You never know.”

“I know enough,” Kakashi stated firmly, leaving nothing to the imagination of how this whole conversation was making him feel. 

The couple let it drop but only because they could tell that Kakashi was at the end of his rope and would be liable to take off and not return if they continued pressuring him. Kurenai smiled if a bit tightly back at the man. “Well, make sure he’s not late.”

“I will,” Kakashi promised easily.

“And thank you for using the door.” Kurenai held his gaze in a harder light. “Might want to stick to it.” She threatened lightly.

Kakashi gave a small bob of his head. “Sure-Sure.” Giving a wave to the couple before disappearing in a flash of smoke without another word spared to his friends.

Kurenai sighed the moment the man was gone. “He’s never going to do anything.”

“About Iruka?”

Kurenai nodded, laying her head on Asuma’s shoulder. “Do you think we should tell Iruka?”

“I think he’d never speak to us again if we did.” 

“But-”

“Kurenai, he might take the rest of his life to fess up, but that’s his choice.”

Kurenai crinkled her brow. “He’s being stupid.”

Asuma chuckled. “Good, so you do know Kakashi.”

The woman smirked upon being teased like that. “Well, I had hoped that he might get the balls to say something, but he’s still the hopeless man who only reads porn in plain sight.”

Asuma snorted. “He only does that because it makes other people uncomfortable.”

“He manages to do that without the porn.”

Asuma stamped out the remaining embers of his cigarette before falling back into the couch and wrapping an arm around Kurenai. “You gotta let Kakashi be himself.”

“Even if it means he’s being an outright ass?”

“Especially then,” Asuma smirked. “It’s the only way he’ll learn.”

“Learn what?”

Asuma thought a moment on what he wanted to say in response to such a question, there was only so many ways to express to her that Kakashi had his own method of adjusting to things he already knew to be true whether or not he liked it. “We both know how he feels about Iruka, and Kakashi might want to say something but continue to be an ass about saying anything...We can’t force that, he’ll stumble along and eventually it will get out.”

“And he’ll learn?” She prodded him further.

“That he was an ass.” Asuma chuckled. “That he should have said something sooner, you know as well as I that Kakashi has to do things in his own time even if that means that he’ll be waiting for ten, twenty, or the rest of his life to do whatever he’s been holding back on.”

“That’s stupid.”

“That’s Kakashi,” Asuma smirked as he looked out into the room rather than at Kurenai who was tucked up against him. “He’ll come around.”

“When? After Iruka’s married because he waited too long and Iruka’s found someone?”

Asuma sighed. “Who knows...But I’m not going to be the one to tell Iruka, Kakashi doesn’t want that.”

“Fine.” The woman replied if a bit icily. “But I’m going to give him hell until he does something about it.”

Asuma chuckled at the vindictive nature of his wife, he knew she meant well and only wanted for Kakashi to be happy but she was about as stubborn as the man himself. “Good luck.” He stated with a breathy laugh only to earn him a slap to the thigh.

“Don’t push me Asuma...I might just tell Genma to take shots with him if anyone's crazy enough to do that it would be Kakashi.”

“What? Hoping to bank on Kakashi having some kind of delusion from poisoning and somehow confess?”

“Whatever works.” Kurenai pushed herself off of Asuma to kiss him on the cheek. “He deserves to be happy and if that means I have to have Genma poison him, then so be it.” The woman rose from the couch to go and finish up what she’d previously been working on before they were interrupted by Kakashi. She left a laughing Asuma in her wake.

**********

Iruka sighed as the students ran out of the classroom just as he was trying in vain to warn them about the upcoming pre-exams that he had planned for the next week. When the last of the students were gone and he was left alone did the Chunin remark. “Well, you’re all going to feel sorry for yourselves next week.” Shaking his head Iruka turned away from the now-closed door of his classroom back towards his desk where the flurry of paperwork the students and thrown his way in their haste out the door. Huffing at the chaos, Iruka began to sort through the papers, the two assignments he’d given were now intermixed and that was one thing that the Chunin just couldn’t allow. So piece by piece he began to put them into orderly stacks that would make the grading process all the easier.

“Might be simpler to just throw a bottle of ink on it and claim it wasn’t readable.”

Iruka snorted, barely giving a glance up when the interloper joined him in the classroom, melding into the space as if he’d always been there. Given who it was, Iruka couldn’t count that, that wasn’t true. “That would be unethical.”

“And save you time.”

“Still unethical, they worked hard on this and it’s my duty to make sure that they get the appropriate grades.” Iruka sighed when a piece was pilfered off of his desk, a hum leaving his guest as Iruka took up a stack to tap against the desk to organize. “Well?” Iruka threw out at the masked figure who was reading.

“Fail.” Kakashi threw the paper carelessly back onto the desk rather than handing it back to Iruka.

Rolling his eyes Iruka snatched up the paper and put it into the appropriate stack. “What makes you say that?” It was more a tease than anything, but Iruka was surprised when Kakashi answered him truthfully.

“Because the first Hokage had nothing to do with the fourth.”

Iruka blinked, frowned and then snatched up the same paper only to groan as he began to read through it. “Seriously?!”

Kakashi chuckled even if he felt a bit bad for the poor man who would have to explain such a simple thing to his students. “So...Fail?”

Iruka glowered back at Kakashi a moment before nodding. “Definitely.”

The silver-haired ninja smiled beneath his mask. “Don’t take it too hard, that’s difficult work.”

Iruka snorted as they both very well knew it wasn’t. Shaking his head as he stuffed the papers into this bag, the Chunin cast the bag onto his shoulder and with a nod stated with a smile. “Well, I’m ready to drop this all off at my place, change into some clean clothes and then head out.”

“Good.” Kakashi nodded. “See you there.”

“Wait!” Iruka threw out a hand to stop Kakashi from leaving. “You never said where it was we were meeting them at.”

“Oh...I didn’t?”

“No.” Iruka sighed.

Kakashi tilted his head a moment before his very eyes smiled. “Well then I’ll just meet you at home and we can go together from there.” Then disappeared in a flash of smoke.

Iruka blinked a few times before huffing. “Should get him arrested for trespassing.” Shaking his head the Chunin quickly transported himself, he wasn’t about to walk home and leave Kakashi alone in his apartment. That would be about a reckless as leaving his students with live weapons.

*********

True to form the moment he arrived Iruka found Kakashi examining something from his bookcase. “Do you mind?”

“Hmm?” Kakashi turned to face him the small knick-knack in his hand.

Iruka rolled his eyes as he progressed further into his apartment. “You’re hopeless.”

“Why do you say that?” Kakashi called after him from the living room.

Iruka shrugged off his bag onto the chair in the corner of his room before calling back. “You’ve been here a hundred times at this point, there is nothing new for you to examine.”

“Wrong.” The Jounin shouted back down the hallway making Iruka smirk at their not so subtle conversation. “There’s always at least one thing different.”

Iruka rolled his eyes as he once again addressed the discrepancy that Kakashi always felt the need to ‘fix’ when he was over. “Just because I move something in my apartment doesn’t mean that it’s something new.” It didn’t take him long to put on a clean shirt and pants, the work from the day at school had left him rather roughed up and Iruka didn’t want to go celebrate his friend’s anniversary looking like he’d been attacked by 30 pre-genin. Once more appropriately dressed for his present activity, Iruka came down the hallway only to give a small laugh when he caught Kakashi in the process of fixing a stack of books that he had somehow managed to throw out of alignment, toppling a whole section over. The Jounin in his haste to avoid being caught had caught the entire stack and was now contorted in a very uncomfortable position all the while trying to put them back in place.

“See things went well in here.”

Kakashi sighed, giving an apathetic look towards the man at having been caught. “A little help might be appreciated.”

“A little less snooping might be too.” Iruka threw out as he left the man to fix his own mistake in favor of getting his wallet. Iruka chuckled when he heard a hasty curse followed by the not so subtle noise of a stack of books falling to the ground.

“Everything's fine!” The Jounin shouted.

Iruka rolled his eyes as he placed his wallet into the interior pocket of his vest, coming back into the living room Iruka raised a brow at the man who was attempting to collect the books and put them back in order on the shelf of the bookcase. Iruka knew that the only reason Kakashi could remember how they were placed was because of the Sharingan and that Kakashi only had used that eye in his apartment once before and had somehow managed to memorize his bookcase of all things. Which was why he always found it amusing to watch the man put things back in their ‘rightful’ place according to that memory.

“I think you’ve got the red one and the green one in the wrong place.” Iruka teased with a serious voice, the way that Kakashi froze and reconsidered the two books was adorable and Iruka felt a tiny bit guilty as he saw Kakashi frown as if he was truly consulting the memory the Sharingan had gifted him with. His snickering gave him away and Iruka was faced with an irritated glower from the Jounin.

“I’m sorry.” Iruka laughed waving at the man as he came forward to take the other books from Kakashi and set them on the nearby coffee table. “Don’t worry about it, I can fix them later.”

Kakashi shook his head at the teasing Chunin. “So mean.”

Iruka chuckled. “I know-I know, that was cruel.” The smile on his face seemed to make up for his earlier teasing because Kakashi just shook his head and smiled back at him.

“Ready to go?”

“If you’re done making a mess.” Iruka teased right back.

“Mean sensei, I was fixing things before you got involved.” Kakashi pouted even as he reached out to grasp Iruka’s shoulder. The chaos he left in their wake would be something to be fixed after their celebration with Asuma and Kurenai.

**********

The next thing the Chunin knew, they were standing outside on a street in the center of the lively part of the village that hosted the majority of the bars. Sure enough, they were in front of one of the biggest in town. Iruka looked over towards Kakashi when he felt the man’s hand leave his shoulder.

“Here?” Iruka asked skeptically.

Kakashi nodded. “I don’t get it either.”

Iruka chuckled at least they agreed on one thing, all the previous get-togethers they’d met at a little hole in the wall bar and yet here they were at the rowdiest in the village. “Alright...Well, let’s not keep them waiting.”

Kakashi gave a nod, falling in beside Iruka they entered the bar and were quickly flagged down by Asuma or Kakashi was as Asuma let out a whistle that Kakashi knew by heart. Iruka didn’t bother to call into question why Kakashi suddenly grasped him and lead him through the crowds in a known direction. Once they were through the worst of it did the Chunin see the couple they were there to celebrate the night with. Iruka did stop long enough to remark to Kakashi. “How you knew where to go.” He shook his head.

Kakashi chuckled. “Trade secret.” He pushed the Chunin forward into the booth that the couple had managed to procure. Sitting beside Iruka, Kakashi gave a nod to the couple. “See we’ve all made it.”

“Wait...It’s really just us?” Iruka looked to all of them in surprise.

“Everyone’s either on missions, in the hospital, or otherwise distracted,” Asuma stated even as he lit up a cigarette.

“Huh...Well, that’s a shame.”

Kurenai gave a shrug. “At least we won’t have to worry about anyone stripping themselves bare or having Genma dare people to a poison drinking contest.”

Iruka laughed at that. “It was only one time.”

Kakashi chuckled. “He’s right, I think we should give that to him.”

Iruka nodded right along, playing into the joke. The pair laughed together when Kurenai burst out with a hasty rebuttal.

“He could have killed that idiot!”

“Eh, rookies need to learn early.” Kakashi waved her concerns off. “Besides, I think he understood by the end of the night not to accept drinks from strangers.”

Iruka snorted. “Only because everyone was screaming at him not to do it.”

“True.” Kakashi nodded. “But he did learn.”

“The hard way,” Asuma muttered around his cigarette.

Iruka smirked, it was rather mean to take advantage of someone inexperienced in being out on the town with other shinobi, but they weren’t wrong in their assessment that they had needed to learn proper protocol. Namely that you stuck with your friends and assumed the rest of the people inside the bar wanted nothing more than to screw you over if, given the chance, entertainment was few and far between in places like this which meant that people became the entertainment. 

“Well, things are sure to be a little tamer without Genma about,” Iruka replied to the group. 

“Maybe for tonight,” Kurenai stated before sighing. “He’s promised to make it up to us.”

Iruka snickered wincing when Kurenai kicked him under the table. “Ow.”

“Don’t you laugh.” She pointed a finger at him sharply. “We have to suffer whatever hair-brained idea he gets.”

Iruka was still rubbing his shin even as he replied. “Well, to be fair I’ve had to suffer such a thing a lot more than you.”

“He has.” Kakashi nodded easily backing up the man’s statement.

“Thanks.” Iruka sent a rather unimpressed look towards Kakashi.

“You’re welcome.” Kakashi smiled back at the Chunin. 

“That’s what you get for taking his shifts at the mission desk.” Asuma chimed in. “Should have learned after the first time.”

“I thought he was just being overzealous,” Iruka admitted shyly.

“And after the fifth time?” Kakashi inquired.

“Or the tenth?” Kurenai smirked.

“Or last week.” Asuma chuckled.

Iruka glowered at all of them. “Bite me, so I like to help people and Genma likes to take his thanking of people too far.”

“Way too far.”

“Way-Way too far,” Kurenai muttered sourly before remarking solely to Asuma. “I plan to be on a mission when he gets back.” She kissed his cheek. “Good luck.”

Asuma’s cigarette nearly fell out of his mouth in shock. “What?!”

Kakashi and Iruka laughed at the poor man’s plight, being ditched to face Genma all the while Kurenai was off on a mission.

“You’re smart.” Kakashi gave a nod to Kurenai, the woman smirked back at him in a knowing way.

“I want a divorce.” Everyone laughed at Asuma’s droll tone.

“Then he’d just want to make it up to both of you separately,” Kakashi informed them factually. “ He would not only subject you to an apology for missing your anniversary but for causing your divorce and you’d have to suffer one on one.”

Asuma turned to stare at his wife. “I changed my mind.”

Rolling her eyes on her husband's quick rescinding of his previous remarks Kurenai stated. “I bet you did.”

Iruka chuckled, elbowing Kakashi when it appeared the masked man was about to say something else. Cutting him off just in time seeing as their waiter showed up just then, Iruka smiled back at the masked man as he accepted his own menu. 

“I’ll be right back for your drink order.” The man nodded before racing off into the crowd of people.

Iruka looked down at the menu, in and of itself it was mostly comprised of drinks as this wasn’t a restaurant though they did offer some appetizers and other finger food. Iruka hummed as he glanced at all the offerings.

“I’m paying for the first round.”

Iruka’s head jerked up to see Kakashi smiling at all of them. “After all this is a celebration and seeing as you wouldn’t allow me to buy you some kind of prese-”

“Not what you had in mind.” Kurenai groused.

Asuma quickly followed. “Or what came after.”

Iruka chuckled. “Wow, it had to be bad for you to just say no.”

“It was.” The couple spoke at the same time.

Kakashi huffed giving them all a putout expression before clearing his throat. “As I was saying, I’m buying the first round and I entirely expect it to have a high alcohol content.”

Iruka snorted at the benchmark the man was setting, shaking his head as he picked out his drink Iruka was surprised when Kakashi snatched up his menu.

“Hey, I was-”

“You were.” Kakashi nodded. “You always go safe with your drinks, time to live a little sensei.”

Iruka glowered back at the man despite how Kurenai and Asuma were chuckling at his fate. “Fine, and just what do you have planned for me then?”

Kakashi hummed, looking down at the menu a moment before commenting. “Well Genma is alwa-”

“NO!” Three voices rang out at the same time earning a flinch from Kakashi.

“Woah...That was pretty impressive.” The nin remarked.

“No.” Iruka pointed a sharp finger at him. “I am not ingesting whatever concoction Genma thinks is a drink.”

Sighing in a forlorn manner Kakashi muttered. “Fine...I suppose that’s only fair given his previous history.”

“Just a little.” Kurenai rolled her eyes before smiling at the waiter who had come back, quickly giving her and Asuma’s order before pointing sharply at Kakashi. “No, just order.” When she knew the man was going to attempt to override their order.

Kakashi sighed, ignoring the jeering of his peers in favor of putting his drink order alongside the drink he’d chosen for Iruka. Given the sputterings that left Iruka at the high alcohol content in the drink that the waiter had just cautioned them on, he’d chosen correctly. The waiter gave a rather pained smile when there was arguing that resulted from the order but quickly took their leave when Kurenai and Asuma waved them to leave. “I’ll be back with your drinks shortly.”

Iruka groaned, allowing his head to fall forward onto the table, swatting out at Kakashi when the man patted the back of his head.

“There there.”

“Ugh...You’re worse than Genma.”

“That hurts worse than you swatting at me,” Kakashi replied.

“Good.” Iruka groaned into the table. “Cause that drink is going to kill me.”

“No, it’s not.” Kakashi snorted, giving Asuma a smirk. “Would it kill you?”

“No.”

“See.” Kakashi pointed towards Asuma only to pout when he realized that Iruka was still face down on the table. Poking Iruka a few times earned him another swat, but he ignored that in favor of stating. “Relax, it can’t do anything worse to you than the Hyuga kid did.”

Iruka twisted his head to the side only to glare at Kakashi. “Don’t you ever do your work?”

“No.” Came twin responses even as Kakashi said “Yes.” Kakashi shot a glare at the couple before turning a smile back onto Iruka. “Yes, I work...I just happen to drop by from time to time.”

“All the time.” Asuma coughed around his cigarette as if he’d caught some smoke in his lungs. He smirked around the cigarette at the death glare that Kakashi gave him.

Iruka sighed even as he straightened himself out, then muttered. “The kids have to learn somewhere.”

“I didn’t think it was a part of your job description to let a wannabe ninja with a kekkei genkai to hit you in a tenketsu.”

Iruka flinched even as Asuma and Kurenai’s eyes widened. “You let the-”

Iruka sighed. “It wasn’t my finest moment.”

“They could have seriously hurt you.” Kurenai admonished the Chunin.

Iruka nodded even as he held up his hands in a placating manner. “I know, but I honestly didn’t think they were capable of such a thing.”

“The locked shoulder said otherwise,” Kakashi interjected.

“Thank you,” Iruka replied stonily with a glare as the man continued to give their friends all the details that he would rather they be ignorant to.

“You did see someone-” Asuma started only to see Iruka shake his head.

“One of the TA’s this year is from the clan, she fixed it.”

Asuma and Kurenai nodded, relieved to hear it but also still upset that the Chunin would ever put himself into such a situation. “Don’t do that again.” Kurenai cautioned. “You won’t be of any use to your students if you get yourself admitted to the hospital because of one and think of the guilt they’d have.”

“I know-I know...Trust me, I won’t be doing that again.” Iruka sat back in his seat, smiling gently to his concerned friends.

“Good.” Kakashi chimed in. “Looked pretty painful.”

Iruka glared back at the Jounin. “Go figure.”

Asuma shook his head, it was just like Kakashi to sit somewhere watching the whole thing but refusing to help unless he absolutely had too. Mostly because Asuma knew that the man wouldn’t have wanted to give himself away lest he be told to leave by the Chunin. “Well, I’m glad that you got it fixed so fast.”

“So am I.” Iruka chuckled even as he reached up to rub the shoulder in question. “Though I wish I hadn’t had to explain that to the TA.”

The group chuckled at the blushing Chunin. 

“A bit awkward was it?” Asuma chuckled.

“Just a bit,” Iruka smirked before admitting. “They were a good sport, though they also took the time to fix it while the kid was there and explain the whole thing to them while my shoulder was still locked up...I think that was their revenge.”

Kakashi snorted. “Nah, they want to be a teacher and saw a moment to teach...The fact that you suffered for it was probably just a bonus given what you lot make those poor souls do.”

Iruka huffed. “He wasn’t my TA I have nothing to do with any suffering he faces with the other teachers.”

Kakashi shrugged. “Might be too scared to do anything to them.”

Iruka rolled his eyes at the Jounin who seemed far too pleased to know that the Hyuga TA had found some kind of pleasure in educating a clan member while he was in pain. 

“Here we are.”

The group turned to regard the waiter as he came to drop off their drinks with a smile. Handing them out with a flourish before asking if there was anything else they needed, with nothing else to be ordered he was dismissed and the group sat together taking the first sips of their beverages.

Kakashi smirked when he watched Iruka cough from taking a drink of his own. “Jesus!” Iruka shook his head. “What is this?”

Kakashi chuckled at the man’s dramatic response to his first drink of the beverage. “It’s a drink.”

Iruka glared at him even as he wiped his mouth with a napkin. “Seriously? Have you tried this?”

Kakashi leaned over to get a better look at the drink in question as if he didn’t know what it was in the first place before nodding. “Yep.”

“And?” Asuma questioned his friend with a smirk.

Kakashi tilted his head towards Asuma and with no remorse said. “Got a bit of a zing to it.”

“Zing?!” Iruka shoved him, nearly toppling Kakashi from the booth before the Jounin caught himself. Kakashi laughed even as Iruka punched him in the shoulder. “Alright alright, it’s a bit strong, but once you get past that first zing it’s good.”

Iruka didn’t look the least bit convinced, instead choosing to point at the other man’s drink. “And that?”

Kakashi hummed, looked down at his own drink and then uttered a simple. “You wouldn’t like it.”

“Oh, you’re so sure?” Kurenai chuckled. “Given what you ordered for him I think it’s safer to take yours than drink his own.”

“I feel the same,” Iruka muttered before taking the other man’s drink.

Kakashi held out his hands in a ‘stop’ motion. “You really don’t want to do that.”

“Why not?” 

Kakashi paused as if he was trying to think up a good reason for him not to drink it, Iruka shook his head when the man couldn’t immediately come up with something and took a drink of the man’s drink.

Kakashi tensed, waiting for the man’s reaction and wasn’t disappointed in the man’s reaction.

Iruka swallowed the cold beverage and set the glass down, stared back at Kakashi and muttered. “Ow.”

Kakashi nodded at the man’s oversimplified response to what was no doubt taking place in his mouth, throat, and body. “Yeah...That’s why.” Kakashi gave the man a sympathizing look as Iruka dove into the glasses of ice water on the table in some vain attempt to override the drink he’d just tasted.

“What? What happened?” Asuma leaned forward, staring at the drink and then at Iruka who was now chugging a water glass.

“It’s like I said, he doesn’t like it,” Kakashi said easily even as he patted the man on the back when Iruka drank the water too fast and ended up coughing.

“What is it?” Kurenai reached out to take the glass for herself, but Kakashi snatched it up and shook his head placing it safely closer to himself than the woman. “I think nearly killing one person is enough, besides it’s your anniversary I’d hate for Asuma to have to hurt me.”

“I’m sure.” Asuma rolled his eyes. “What is it?” He followed up everyone’s line of questioning even as he watched Kakashi set the drink aside where no one could easily reach it.

“Eh, it’s a number ten.” With that vague explanation, Kakashi patted Iruka’s back. “Not going to do that again are you sensei?” Kakashi smiled but it was more in an amused yet concerned manner.

“Good.” Cough. “God.” Cough. “No.”

Kakashi nodded. “Yeah, I tried to warn you.”

Iruka just nodded even as he coughed through the last vestiges of suffering the drink and massive water intake had granted him. When he had somewhat managed to clear his body of the excess water and the leftover effects of the god awful drink that Kakashi had chosen for himself did the Chunin twist his head to the side and give the most floored expression known to man. “Why would you drink that?”

Kakashi shrugged. “It’s good.”

Iruka shook his head before explaining to a curious Kurenai and Asuma. “That’s like drinking glorified acid.”

“It’s not that bad,” Kakashi muttered as he stole his drink back from the Chunin who was giving him a disbelieving look.

“Now I really am curious,” Asuma stated before blowing out a trail of smoke, he reached out across the table to take up one of the small side menus on the table. He flipped it over to try and find the drink that Kakashi had mentioned. He snorted once he found it, shaking his head as he threw the menu haphazardly back onto the table.

“What?” Kurenai questioned.

Asuma just shook his head once more before revealing. “It’s got that vile gin from snow in it.”

Kurenai made an ‘oh’ face before nodding. “Well, then that makes sense.”

“How?!” Iruka exclaimed.

“It’s like acid,” Kurenai smirked. 

Iruka slumped back in his seat when she just justified his claims of the drink's potency. “Why would anyone like that stuff?” Then because he knew there was one person at the table who did, he looked towards Kakashi. “Why do you like that stuff?”

Kakashi shrugged at first but laughed when Iruka swatted at him and demanded an actual answer. “I just got a taste for the stuff after a prolonged mission there.” Iruka didn’t seem to buy it, but he also didn’t counter his explanation so Kakashi just settled for smiling.

“Keep it away from me,” Iruka muttered dryly.

“I didn’t offer it to you.” Kakashi reminded the Chunin.

Iruka huffed, disregarding the fact that he had in fact stolen the drink from the man. Setting his attention back towards the couple who had been watching them amused by their interaction Iruka stated. “I think I’ll stick with tea.”

They laughed, but it appeared that Iruka’s decision wouldn't be heeded as Asuma raised his arm from around Kurenai to flag down a waiter much to the Chunin’s complaint. When the waiter arrived Asuma took some measure of pleasure in ordering for the Chunin as Kakashi had earlier. 

“Another.” He held up his glass and the waiter went scurrying.

“What is it?” Iruka asked with dread.

Kurenai laughed at her friend's hesitation. “Relax, it’s something normal.” She said ‘normal’ all the while staring at Kakashi. The Jounin rolled his eye and didn’t buy into the baiting the woman had given him. 

“I think I like normal.” Iruka pushed the drink that Kakashi had ordered for him originally into the center of the table. 

Kakashi huffed, reaching forward to snatch up the drink for himself and easily and effortlessly pulled his mask down to swallow the whole thing down before righting his mask and smacking the glass onto the table all in one blow.

Iruka stared back at the Jounin in shock, Kurenai and Asuma just shook their heads at the man’s actions. 

“How-Doesn’t that hurt?” Kakashi shook his head. Iruka sighed, wiping a hand down his face all the while muttering. “I’m sticking with what I’ve said before, you’re crazy.”

“Rude,” Kakashi complained with a smile that showed he wasn’t truly offended by the man’s statement.

Iruka chuckled as he accepted his new drink from the waiter and held it up to salute Kakashi before taking a steady pull from it. He chuckled after swallowing at how Kakashi rolled his eye at him. “Ahh...Normal.”

Kurenai and Asuma laughed at Iruka’s mocking tone. Iruka laughed when Kakashi checked him with his shoulder, pushing him further into the booth. 

“So how are the new batch of recruits doing?” Kurenai smiled as she pushed the conversation towards something a bit more civil than one's preferences for alcohol that might or might not be poison in disguise. 

“Fine.” Iruka smiled. 

“The Inuzuka bites,” Kakashi concluded before pulling down his mask to take another drink, righting it when he was done.

Iruka glared back at the man. “He does not bite.”

“Saw him.”

“You saw his dog bite someone, not him.” Then because it needed to be said, the Chunin added. “Which you never should have seen any of if you had been working.”

Kakashi hummed ignoring the man's slight against his work ethic in stating. “They’re an extension of their partner.” Before Iruka could offer some kind of rebuttal Kakashi posed the question towards Kurenai. “Right?”

Asuma chuckled as their friend asked his wife who had trained Kiba what she thought of the dog partners of the clan. Kurenai gave a hesitant nod before explaining. “They do what their partners think half the time, even if the order isn’t strictly given.”

Iruka groaned waving a hand towards Kakashi. “Don’t back up that excuse, you know that kid didn’t bite anyone.”

Asuma chuckled as he stamped out the last dredges of his cigarette and took a leisurely pull of his own drink. “Why was he biting someone?”

Iruka huffed and once more enforced. “He didn’t bite anyone.”

“Why did his dog bite someone?” Kurenai amended with a smirk.

Iruka glowered at the couple, he knew they weren’t going to let go of their belief that Kakashi was right about the Inuzuka boy and his partner canine. “Apparently he had a scuffle with one of the other boys and got the bright idea to settle things between each other.” He rolled his eyes for effect. “Needless to say, one got bit and the other one ended up with a black eye.”

“And a bloody nose.” Kakashi chimed in with a smile.

Iruka twisted to glower at the man. “Seriously?! Don’t you ever go to work?”

Asuma and Kurenai laughed as Kakashi just nodded in his own defense. “I do, I just use my breaks wisely.”

“By spying on school children?” Iruka replied tartly.

Kakashi hummed but quickly sent a scathing look towards Kurenai when the woman uttered a not so subtle. “Or someone.”

“Huh?”

“Nothing.” Asuma coughed a moment as a way to distract the Chunin who had sent a skeptical look towards the woman. “You know Kakashi, he likes watching...Things.”

Iruka snorted. “If that’s your way of saying he slacks off then yes, he does do that.”

“He is right here.” Kakashi clarified just in case none of them realized that fact.

Iruka smiled back at the Jounin. “We know.”

Huffing the Jounin turned the tides on the couple how had been prepared to throw him under the bus. “So, when are you two planning on having kids?” He took no shortage of amusement in how that made the pair of them cough and sputter both from their drinks and air alone.

Iruka snickered from beside him, elbowing Kakashi a moment. “That’s mean.”

“Fair is fair.” The Jounin retorted before smiling back at the flabbergasted couple. “So?”

Kurenai cleared her throat before shaking her head. “We’re not in a hurry.” She sent a look towards her husband as if to double-check to make sure she hadn’t said something he didn’t agree with.

Asuma nodded. “She’s right, but we do plan to have some in the future.”

Iruka smiled at the couple who were in the process of recovering from the shock of being put in the spotlight. “I’m sure you’ll be great parents.”

“Thank you.” Kurenai blushed. “Though it is still a ways off for us.”

“And just thing someday Iruka might be telling your kids not to bite people,” Kakashi grunted and winced as he was elbowed and kicked, one from beside him and the other under the table from a scowling Kurenai. “Ow.”

Iruka snorted. “You deserved that.” Smiling over at the irritated woman he assured her. “If I do end up teaching your kids, it’ll be an honor.”

Kurenai smiled. “It would be nice to know that they would have someone to keep as good of an eye on them as you do your students.”

Iruka blushed a bit from her praise. “I do my best.”

“He does.” Kakashi nodded. “He even managed to catch that little brat who was trying to climb a tree.”

Iruka sighed, sent a scathing look back at the silver-haired ninja all the while muttering. “I’m going to start reporting you if you keep ditching work.”

Kakashi chuckled, waving a hand at him. “Please, you don’t even know when I’m there.”

Iruka huffed, that was true which was altogether annoying. “Fine.” Iruka settled. “I’ll just pay one of the TA’s to scope out the place.”

Kakashi snorted. “As if they’d catch me, they’re rookie Chunin’s who can barely tie their shoes.”

Iruka chuckled at the man’s lame insult to the newly recruited TA’s. “Well those rookie Chunin’s manage to help wrangle thirty kids with plastic weapons on a daily basis and the last I heard you were still complaining about the three you were in charge of.”

Kakashi sighed. “To be fair, my three were hellions.”

“Look at them now.” Asuma pointed out to the complaining Jounin.

Kakashi hummed. “True...Suppose it was worth it.” The man laughed when Iruka started giving a long-winded tirade about how it was ‘worth it’. If there was one person who would go to bat for the kids it was Iruka. It didn’t matter that the students he loved so dearly weren’t his students anymore, let alone Kakashi’s. They were shinobi in their own rights. “Alright alright.” He waved his hands at the fuming Chunin. “So it might have been worth all the pain and suffering they piled onto me.”

Iruka snorted. “Please, I’ve heard the stories of what you got up to with them.”

Kakashi blinked a few times before turning to regard Kurenai. “Did your students love you dearly throughout their training?” She laughed, Kakashi sent a look towards Asuma only for the man to chuckle Kakashi waved a hand towards the couple. “And my case is made.”

Iruka rolled his eyes. “I’m pretty sure that Kurenai didn’t do half the things you did and whatever Asuma did would be well within normal boundaries unlike you.”

“I didn’t.” Kurenai smiled as she took a sip of her drink with a pleased look on her face for how Kakashi glared at her. 

“Neither did I,” Asuma uttered as he went about lighting another cigarette. “Though Shikamaru might have a few words about the things I did.”

Kurenai chuckled. “He loved the puzzles you gave him, even if he hated the fact that you wouldn’t explain the rules.”

Asuma smirked. “He’s smart, I knew he could figure it all out.”

“He cursed your name along the way.” Kakashi boasted. “Naruto told me so.”

Asuma shrugged as he took the first drag of his cigarette. “Maybe.” He blew out a long stream of smoke. “But later on, then he appreciated it. That’s how teaching goes, they hate you at the moment, later on, they thank you for all the suffering you put them through.” He nodded towards Iruka. “Right?”

Iruka chuckled. “Something like that...I normally don’t get so attached as I did with that year’s students, I don’t see previous years if only in passing...Naruto, however, has a knack for tracking me down wherever I am.”

Kakashi chuckled as he patted the man on the back. “He loves you.”

“I know.” Iruka smiled back at the man. “Though I’d be remiss if I didn’t say I’d prefer if he knocked before barging into wherever I am.”

“Awkward moments?” Kurenai smiled knowingly.

Iruka rolled his eyes. “Not as often as you might think, he’s just good at startling me.”

“Mah sounds like you need more practice.”

Iruka sent a scathing look towards the Jounin but didn’t choose to get into another argument about skills with the man, instead choosing to take up his drink again and empty it. Setting the empty glass on the table, Iruka smiled back at the couple who had been watching him curiously. “So, are you two planning on taking on another set of students?” Then because he knew a rebuttal would be coming from the person sitting next to him Iruka stated. “I already know you won’t.”

Kakashi chuckled when he was caught. “I don’t think anyone could top them, seems like a waste of time.” He shrugged.

Iruka rolled his eyes before looking expectantly towards the other people at the table.

“I’m not sure.” Kurenai mused aloud. “I think it might be fun, but at the same time it does take a lot of effort and seriously hampers how much time you have for regular duties and being at home.” She leaned into Asuma, the man’s arm tightened around her. 

“She’s right, I don’t think I will.” Asuma nodded to himself. “Though I might consider taking up the mantel of supervising some of the exams.”

“That would be fun,” Kakashi smirked. “Mostly because you’d get all the pleasure of smacking kids upside the head and not having to deal with the fallout of actually teaching them a lesson,” Kakashi grunted as he was elbowed once more. 

“That wouldn’t be why.” Asuma snorted in an amused fashion. “That would be your reason.”

Kakashi held up his glass. “And a good one.” The masked man pulled the mask down to finish his own drink down with nary a grimace despite the ones that graced his comrade's faces as they watched him down the drink. Replacing his mask, Kakashi smiled at them all. “So who's got the next round?”

“I do,” Iruka commented. “Only if you promise not to drink acid again.”

“It’s not acid-”

“Promise.” Iruka prodded the man.

Sighing Kakashi nodded his head. “Fine, I’ll order something ‘normal’.” The bland tone of voice the man used had the others chuckling. 

“Nope.” Iruka shook his head when the man's response wasn't good enough for him, reaching over to scoop up the menu that Asuma had discarded earlier he looked it over all the while stating. “I’m not letting you get off that easy, I’m picking it.”

Kakashi smirked at the man’s firm statement. “Alright sensei, you win.”

Iruka chuckled even as he perused the menu. “How many times do I have to tell you not to call me sensei? You’re not one of my students.”

“Mah but I learn so much from you.”

Iruka shook his head as he set the menu aside and flagged down a waiter. “I highly doubt that.” Iruka ignored the man’s attempts to give evidence of what he’d ‘learned’ from him in favor of ordering drinks for the next round. 

Kakashi smiled, winking at Kurenai when the woman chuckled back at him. Sitting back in the booth the Jounin watched the waiter carry off to fill their orders that Iruka had taken the time to write down on a napkin so as to not reveal what he was ordering for everyone, assured that they were once more left to their own devices Kakashi stated. “Come my turn to order, I’m ruining all of you.”

Iruka snorted. “I’ll pitch it out the window.”

“Rude.” Kakashi gasped in shock.

“I’ll join you,” Asuma muttered.

“Asuma, I’m shocked at you.” Kakashi pouted.

“You really shouldn’t be,” Asuma replied easily, chuckling when his wife cut in.

“None of this should shock you anymore, just like we shouldn’t be able to be shocked by anything you do.”

“And yet it still happens.” The group sighed unanimously as Kakashi had a point there. 

“Thank god for drinks,” Iruka stated before Kakashi could ask what he meant the waiter was back setting down the next round. 

Kakashi stared at the concoction before him with a cautious air to himself it was red, glancing towards Iruka saw the man smirking. “Are you going to tell me what it is?”

Iruka took a sip of his own. “Nope.” The Chesire like grin on the man’s face had Kakashi facing the music.

“Right.” Taking the drink up, Kakashi pulled down his mask enough to take a tentative sip of the beverage before putting it down and righting his mask. Everyone leaned forward in the booth to see what the Jounin’s reaction to the drink that had been ordered for him. 

Kakashi hummed, hawed and then grunted when he was kicked by Kurenai. “Well?”

Kakashi nodded his head, tilting towards Iruka. “It’s good. What is it?”

Iruka smirked even as he reached out to grab the menu once more, handing it to the Jounin. “Figure it out.”

Kakashi blinked in surprise, stared down at the menu that had over fifty drinks to choose from and then sighed. “Why?”

“You thought it was too normal for your tastes, figured it might be interesting for you to figure out what it is.” Iruka nodded towards the menu. “Think of it as homework, you know, since you seem to learn so much from me.” Asuma and Kurenai cracked up laughing at the Jounin’s current assignment.

Sighing Kakashi started perusing the menu, intent on doing just that. Iruka smirked at the masked man before turning his attention to the amused couple. If anyone could appreciate the task of keeping Kakashi occupied with a menial task it was them. 

“So what’s new with you?” Iruka took great pleasure in starting a somewhat normal brand of conversation while they waited for Kakashi to figure out whatever drink he’d been given. The group enjoyed each other’s conversation all the while sparingly glancing over to Kakashi as the man muttered what disqualified his current drink from the one he was analyzing from the list. They all had a good chuckle over it as every few minutes Kakashi would look to Iruka and state a number from the menu only to be shot down by the Chunin and forced to go back to his search. 

All of them knew that Kakashi was too stubborn to back down from the challenge of discovering whatever drink it was that Iruka had ordered for him and so the search continued. Somehow in the amount of time that it took Kakashi to scour the menu for the mystery beverages name another two rounds of beverages were served. It was coming around to Kakashi’s turn, the glass that had once held the mystery beverage was long since empty but he kept searching.

Iruka by this point was beyond tipsy and was prepared to call it a night before things got too out of hand, given the happy expressions on his friend's faces they had enjoyed the evening but were feeling much the same in how much alcohol they’d consumed all without eating a mistake he rebuked himself for. 

Meanwhile, Kakashi seemed as alert as ever, Iruka always hated that about the man. He knew about Kakashi’s time as Anbu, the training to make them immune to a great many substances included alcohol and it took far too much to affect the man. He, on the other hand, was a lightweight and when he listed to the left and crashed into the Jounin’s shoulder did he remind himself of that fact. Yep, time to go home.

Iruka nudged Kakashi, giving a laugh when the Jounin waved him off with a quick ‘I’m still looking.’ Iruka sighed, laying his chin into his palm all the while muttering with a happy drunken lisp. “We’ve been waiting...Time to go.” He nudged the man with his free hand only to be given the man’s attention at long last.

Kakashi twisted to stare at Iruka a moment before glancing over to the couple who had been celebrating all night with them. Sighing when he realized his fanatism had won him over while the rest of the group were becoming increasingly intoxicated, he remarked. “One more drink, on me.” The group didn’t bother to argue, though they did stipulate.

“Nothing weird.”

Kakashi chuckled at that, nodding his consent to the terms before waving down a waiter to order a round of drinks. The group groaned when Kakashi ordered what could only be considered the hangover drink of choice.

“You’re going to kill us,” Kurenai complained as she slouched onto the table. Asuma simply nodded all the while rubbing his wives back.

“Mah, it’s just one drink besides I haven’t really been present the whole time so it’s only fair to share a really good drink with you all.” Kakashi smiled at Iruka. “And I think it’s a number fifteen.”

Iruka huffed even as he opened his eyes had not realized that he’d closed them in his happy blissed-out state of mind. He hummed before remarking with a giggle. “I’ve partied enough tonight thank you very much...And no, you’re wrong.”

“You haven’t partied,” Kakashi replied civilly all the while glaring down at the menu when his number choice was proven wrong. Kakashi rolled his eyes at the man when Iruka waved his hand a bit and said ‘woo’ in a sarcastic tone which spurned raucous laughter from their friends. “Cute.” Shaking his head Kakashi smiled broadly when the drinks arrived and divided them out to everyone. Holding up his drink, Kakashi took great pleasure in calling for a toast. “To Kurenai and Asuma, somehow managing to stay together without killing one another.”

Iruka giggled, earning smiles from the group in general at his behavior. 

“Yeah, you're about done in.” Kakashi laughed, they could always tell whenever Iruka got happy drunk. “Drink up and I’ll drag you home.”

“My home or your home? Cause I like either.” Iruka tilted his head before laughing, he was a bit disorganized but managed to down his shot with a flourish before falling into Kakashi’s side.

Kakashi snorted and clarified. “Your home.” The masked man took little time to throw down the simple shot, settling the glass shot glass onto the table with a nod to Kurenai and Asuma as they finished theirs. “Get home safe and congrats on another year.”

They nodded, though it was Asuma who was by far the more lively one and was practically forcing Kurenai up onto her feet so they could leave. The woman more than content to take a nap on the table itself after she had finished her shot.

Kakashi watched Asuma stumble out of the bar while prodding his wife along, shaking his head at the pair he turned his attention towards the Chunin who was resting against his shoulder. “Time to go home sensei.” Kakashi’s voice was amused and turned into a chuckle when Iruka only muttered. 

“I’m not home? So comfy.”

“Hardly.” Rolling his eyes Kakashi supported the man so he would fall over as Kakashi got up from the booth. Throwing some cash onto the table for the last round, Kakashi pulled Iruka from the booth, stumbling a bit when Iruka didn’t help much in gaining his feet.

“Okay, last round might have been too much,” Kakashi muttered to himself as he forced Iruka to right himself, the Chunin threw an arm over his shoulder easily enough, instinct no doubt. From there Kakashi maneuvered them through the bar and out into the fresh air, the small confused noise that left the Chunin had Kakashi answering the silent question.

“We’re going home.”

“Oh.” Iruka twisted his head to the side as if to look back at the bar. “But Kuren-”

“They already left.”

“Oh.”

Kakashi smirked to himself as the Chunin righted himself to turn into him and mutter. “I didn’t know.”

“I get that.” The Jounin chuckled. “Alright, I’m just gonna transport us back to your place...You’re not going to lose your drink are you?”

Iruka hummed. “Did I?” Iruka laughed.

“Alright...Home we go.” Kakashi wasn’t about to get into that argument with the man seeing as he wasn’t liable to remember any of this anyway. Keeping a firm grasp on the Chunin, Kakashi used the transportation jutsu to send them back to the Chunin’s apartment. With any luck, Iruka wouldn’t fight him in going to bed and he could return to his own apartment without worrying about the man doing something stupid while inebriated. 

**********

Kakashi stumbled when Iruka pitched forward the minute they appeared in the man’s apartment. “Woah sensei.” The Jounin caught his feet and forced the man not to face plant into the floor. Sighing when he managed to retain their upright position Kakashi lead the man over to his couch and plopped him down there.

“I’ll be right back, best to drink some water before you crash for the night.”

Iruka laughed. “I didn’t crash into anything but you.”

Kakashi snorted at the man’s jovial mood and headed into the kitchen, grabbing a glass from the man’s cabinet he was in the process of filling it when he heard movement from in the living room, a thumping sound a few moments later. Sighing at the prospect of having to chase down the man, Kakashi finished filling the water glass and wandered back into the room. Kakashi laughed when he saw Iruka leaning haphazardly against a wall doing his best to take off his sandals and nearly toppling over every few seconds all while laughing too hard to actually make any progress. 

“Alright-Alright why don’t you sit down before you give yourself a concussion.”

Iruka twisted to stare at him in surprise before falling over with a simple grunt. Kakashi shook his head as he set down the glass of water on the man’s coffee table before he walked over to the now confused man, kneeling down he smiled. “Lost your balance sensei.”

Iruka nodded his head even as he continued to hold onto his own ankle, he glanced down at it and the sandal he’d been in the process of removing and then back to Kakashi. “Your here.”

“I am.” Kakashi nodded. “I went to get you a glass of water remember?” He pointed back to the glass of water that he’d set down on the coffee table, distracting the Chunin into following said finger. “Let’s get these sandals off and get you back to the couch ne?” Kakashi smirked even as he helped to get the man’s sandals off, Iruka didn’t help much other than giggling a few times and making off-handed remarks about being ticklish.

“I didn’t know that,” Kakashi smirked at the happy man.

“You don’t know lots of things...But you know lots of other things.” Iruka squinted his eyes a moment at the man in a shrewd look. “You cheat.”

Kakashi set the man’s sandal aside before giving the man a confused look. “I do?”

Iruka nodded as he reached up to poke the man’s hitae where it covered his Sharingan. “Cheater.”

Kakashi laughed when the man’s not so subtle assumption of his eye came to light. “Ah, I see.”

“No you don’t, it’s covered.”

Snorting at the man’s literal interpretation Kakashi grabbed the man under his arms and helped him stammer back to his feet, catching him when Iruka listed too much and just started laughing from nearly toppling over.

“Yep, the number twelve was too much for you,” Kakashi muttered as he dragged the Chunin back over towards his couch.

“What’s a twelve?”

Smirking as he got the man seated and handing him the glass of water, Kakashi stated. “They call it some tropical sunrise or something.” Kakashi waved his hand only to smirk when Iruka followed his hand movements. “It’s got a nice citrus blend in it.” Iruka nodded his head even as he nearly poured water on himself, only to be saved by the Jounin’s quick reflexes. “Why don’t you focus on drinking some of this rather than wearing it?”

Iruka glanced down to the water glass that was being supported by the other man’s hand, he pulled it free and took a large mouthful of the cool water, swallowing it before remarking to the masked man. “You suck at drinking.”

“I do?” Kakashi chuckled. “I think that’s just because I don’t end up like you, you’re a pretty happy drunk though so I think that’s good.”

“Is it?” Iruka hummed. “I suppose...At least I don’t hit people like Genma.”

“Yeah, he’s gotten into a few scrapes because of that, but he’s got Raidou to keep him out of trouble.”

Iruka hummed as he took another drink at the man’s prompting, settling the glass on his thigh Iruka remarked. “Who do you have to keep you out of trouble?”

Kakashi chuckled. “No one really, but I don’t find trouble much.”

“Liar.” Iruka laughed. “You find all the trouble.”

“All of it?” Kakashi smirked. “I doubt that sensei.”

“Mmm...Not your sensei.” Iruka yawned.

“Not in the strictest sense, but you are a sensei.”

Iruka nodded. “Yeah...You’re too you know.”

Kakashi waved a hand at the man. “Mah, what I did with those three isn’t teaching...It’s more beating them into shape.”

Iruka laughed. “Naruto would back up the beating part, he complains all the time about how you tortured them.”

“See.” Kakashi smiled. “I’m a horrible teacher, nothing like you.”

Iruka snorted, letting out a happy laugh a moment later as if his own noise had amused him. “What do you think I do to the students I have now?”

Kakashi shrugged. “Teach them things, stop them from killing themselves in stupid ways. Sounds like teaching to me.”

Iruka shook his head as he took another drink from his glass. “Nah.” He settled after swallowing. “I’m just a babysitter.”

“No you’re not, if you were I wouldn’t have passed those brats...They learned a lot from you.” Kakashi praised the man. 

Iruka hummed then nodded his head. “Yeah, guess so.”

Kakashi was amused at how quickly the man agreed with him but didn’t comment on it, instead choosing to advise the man. “Finish drinking your water and then you can go to bed.”

“Why?” Iruka took a drink of his water.

“Umm...Cause you’re drunk and need sleep?” Kakashi frowned at the simple question.

“We’re talking.”

Kakashi sighed at the apparent dilemma that was delaying the man. “We can talk tomorrow when you’re not laughing at falling over your own feet.” Iruka glanced down as if to double-check said appendages, only to jerk his head upright when Kakashi laughed at his actions.

Iruka huffed in a pouting manner which was more adorable than it was serious despite his attempts to make it so. “I want you to stay.”

“Alright...I suppose I can sleep on the couch if you think you need me here.” Kakashi offered before questioning. “Do you think you’ll be sick?”

Iruka shook his head. “No.”

“Then why have me stay?” Kakashi chuckled. “Unless you just want a sleepover.” He teased.

“Cause it’s my home.”

Kakashi frowned a bit confused as to where the Chunin was trying to take this conversation. “I know that.”

“Then stay.”

Sighing Kakashi muttered more to himself than Iruka. “That doesn’t make a lick of sense.”

“No licking.”

Kakashi laughed, startled by the man’s random demand when he had listened to what Kakashi had said. “No licking.” He agreed. “I’ll stay on the couch, let’s get you to bed.” Kakashi took the remainder of the water and set the glass aside before helping to get Iruka back to his feet. Trailing down the hallway towards the man’s bedroom.

“I like it when you’re here.”

“Thanks,” Kakashi smirked as they walked through the man’s bedroom. “I like stopping by.”

Iruka hummed. “You broke my books.” The Chunin laughed a moment before confessing. “I don’t mind when you do that, it’s funny.”

“Glad to hear it, and I did promise to fix those.” Kakashi pointed out as Iruka sat on his bed.

“That’s cheating though.” Iruka frowned back at him.

Kakashi blinked a few times before stating. “I can’t help if I know the order they're in Iruka.”

Iruka shook his head. “No cheating, I don’t allow it in school, no cheating in my home.”

Kakashi snorted. “Sure.” As if he could just forget the memory of where the books all went, agreeing with the nonsensical request Kakashi gently ushered the man to lay down. There was no sense in trying to get him out of anything other than his vest at this point and it would be far more awkward to try and get him into whatever sleeping attire he normally wore, not to mention invasive and over the line. 

“Alright arm.”

“Huh?” Iruka looked at him confused for a moment until Kakashi began to pull on the man’s vest and attempt to feed his arm through the hole. “That’s mine.”

“Yes, and you can keep it, but it might be more comfortable to sleep with it off.” Kakashi preached even as he fought with the rather lax Chunin, managing to strip the man of his vest with minimal fighting though he was forced to answer a variety of questions as to why he was taking the man’s vest.

“There.” Kakashi smiled as he left Iruka where he was on the edge of the bed to hang the man’s vest on a nearby chair. Turning back towards the inebriated man, Kakashi admitted. “Suppose I went a bit nuts on the drinks tonight sorry.”

Iruka shook his head, a bright smile on his face. “They were good...Well, yours weren’t. They sucked.”

Kakashi laughed. “Yeah, I’ll remember that for next time.”

Iruka bobbed his head a few times in quick succession before remarking. “Seven.”

“Hmm?” Kakashi tilted his head at the smiling man. “What’s a seven?”

“Your drink.” Iruka smiled back.

“Ah.” Kakashi chuckled now that the mystery number of his drink was revealed. “And what is it?”

Iruka thought a moment before managing to say. “A number.”

Kakashi snorted. “Cute.” Shaking his head Kakashi stepped forward to pull the man’s blankets aside all the while listening as Iruka began to ramble.

“It’s what your team was.”

“Mhmm.” Kakashi folded over the sheet and slowly maneuvered Iruka’s legs into it.

“Number seven...Naruto likes that number, you should too.”

“I do.”

Iruka smirked as he twisted more onto his side as Kakashi fought to get the blankets upon him as the man kept getting his legs tangled in the sheets and blankets. “And I like the name.”

“The name?...Oh, of the drink?”

“Yeah.”

“What was it?” Kakashi sighed in relief when he managed to untangle Iruka’s legs from the blankets and sheets from where the man had disorganizedly placed his legs in between multiple layers of the cloth. Settling the now organized blankets onto the man, Kakashi froze when Iruka stated.

“Bleeding heart...Cause ya know it was red.”

“Sounds rather morose to me,” Kakashi replied.

Iruka shook his head. “No...Not always.”

“No?”

“Sometimes you love something so badly that your heart bleeds for it...For them...My mother used to say so, that her heart bled for my father and that’s because they loved each other so much.” Iruka smiled softly. 

“Huh...I’ve never heard of a relationship like that.” Kakashi chuckled a bit. “A bleeding heart, they must have loved each other very much.”

“They did.” Iruka’s voice was softer as his face fell a bit, the jovial expression turning as he thought of them.

“Alright...I think that’s enough deep thoughts for the night.” Kakashi did his best to distract the man from his lost family, Iruka was a happy drunk and Kakashi had no desire to change that all because of one drink. “Time for be-”

“I never knew what she really meant,” Iruka confessed softly before yawning. “Then I met you.”

Kakashi’s hand which had fallen to the blankets to tuck them higher on the man froze, his eye darting to stare at the sleepy-eyed Chunin. "What?”

Iruka hummed. “I think my heart is bleeding...Think I should see someone?” Iruka frowned as if he was actually considering seeing a doctor about his current dilemma.

Kakashi smiled down at the suddenly concerned man. “No...I think it’s just fine.”

The Chunin smiled back up at him. “Good. I don’t mind if it’s bleeding for you.”

Kakashi was caught off guard by all of this, but he still did his best to make the inebriated man comfortable before he had an internal meltdown. “I’m...Glad to hear that, though I’d like to keep the bleeding to a minimum.”

Iruka laughed as he twisted to lay on his back. “I’m a teacher I bleed a lot for my students.” He chuckled. “Because of them too.” Meeting the Jounin’s concerned gaze, Iruka smiled and honestly stated. “I don’t mind bleeding for you...But you gotta fix my books.”

Kakashi laughed, of all the absurd things for the man to state after admitting to liking him...Loving him. “Yeah, I’ll go do that.”

“No cheating.” Iruka pointed sharply at him with a giggle.

“No cheating.” Kakashi held up his fingers in a scouts honor all the while smiling down at the man. “How about you get some sleep and I’ll go tidy up the place?”

Iruka yawned once more, giving a tired yawn. “Okay.” He hummed as he twisted further into the blankets, watching Kakashi a moment longer before shutting his eyes. A long sigh leaving him a minute before he uttered a soft. “I hate it when you leave.”

Kakashi swallowed tightly. “I’ll be right outside, fixing your books.” His voice wavered even as he heard the man hum in reply. Nodding to himself, Kakashi slowly stepped out of the man’s bedroom, shutting the door behind him. Kakashi slumped against the nearby wall, sliding to the ground he stared out blindly at the wall across from him. 

“He loves me?”

***********

Iruka groaned as he rolled over, his head was hurting but he knew it would have been so much worse if Kakashi hadn’t forced him to down another glass of water before bed. Iruka smiled into his pillow at that memory, of the man taking care of him as he did. Listening to what had to be some amazing rambling, Iruka gave a small chuckle only to freeze a moment later, his eyes snapping open blinding him temporarily as his brain complained to the drastic change in light levels. His head throbbed even as he internally panicked as his sluggish brain had brought forth something very important.

“I didn’t.” He rasped with a dry mouth.

And yet his memory was showing him quite clearly how he’d told Kakashi about the drink, about the meaning behind it at least for him. About his bleeding heart. “Oh god.” Iruka threw his hands over his face to hide from the world. “I didn’t." Iruka shook his head "I didn't" He pleaded into the room. "Oh-Oh I did.” Groaning the Chunin clutched tightly to himself as he wrapped his brain around the fact that he'd confessed to Kakashi last night while he was drunk.

Iruka sat upright in a blink as he heard noise from another part of his apartment. He swallowed hastily as the movement made him momentarily nauseous, listening carefully Iruka came to one horrifying conclusion. He wasn’t alone. Kakashi was still there. 

As much as he would have preferred to hide out in his room until the end of days, Iruka knew that wasn’t possible. Knowing Kakashi as he did, the Jounin wouldn’t just leave without checking on him first and Iruka’s playing possum act wasn’t Anbu worthy which meant he couldn’t fool Kakashi. 

“I’m screwed.” Iruka stammered softly to himself even as he stared at his bedroom door in dread. He had to go out there, talk to Kakashi and face whatever backlash his stupid drunk brain had caused. If he was lucky his drunken ramblings would be ignored and nothing would come of it, surely nothing would come of it. Iruka nodded to himself, forcing himself to recognize that Kakashi would just disregard anything untoward that he might have done. He was drunk after all, you couldn’t hold anything against a drunk person. 

Nodding to himself once more in the hopes of granting himself increased bravery, Iruka slid from his bed and stood there a moment. At first, it was in an attempt to make sure he’d retain his footing, but that quickly fell aside under the guise of stalling. One step. Two, and then he was there standing at the closed door to his bedroom. Taking a deep breath, his hands shaking as he reached out for the doorhandle Iruka twisted the knob and opened the door. He had to talk to Kakashi about this, even if it meant the man wouldn’t want anything to do with him afterward. Shaky step after shaky step Iruka made his way into the living room.

********

Kakashi looked up, surprised that Iruka had managed to get up so early given how much he’d had to drink the night prior. “Oh, you’re awake.” It was rather obvious but truly he didn’t know what else to say as he sat on the man’s couch reading. Folding the book closed and setting it aside, Kakashi smiled at the rumpled man. “You are awake right?” He joked.

Iruka nodded his head, of all the things he could have started with, addressing the man’s presence there, what had happened last night, his confession in general, Iruka chose to state. “You organized my books?”

Kakashi twisted his head to the side and stared at the bookcase which was now in a different order than it had been previously. “Ah, yeah I kinda got bored and so I just figured it might be useful...I did it the same way I do mine so now it makes more sense to me so I more than likely won’t screw around with it from now on.” Kakashi joked with a chuckle even as he reached back to rub his head. “I hope that was okay.”

Iruka nodded his head even as he continued to stare at the books, he smiled a moment later before laughing.

Kakashi blinked in surprise to the man’s reaction to what he’d done. “Umm...Do you like it?”

Iruka nodded his head. “I’m sorry...I-I just remembered I told you to do that.”

“Ah.” Kakashi chuckled. “Yes, you did. And I wasn’t allowed to cheat.”

“Oh god.” Iruka covered his face. “I’m so sorry.”

Kakashi laughed at the poor man’s plight, shaking his head at Iruka he waved the man forward the moment that he’d dropped his hand. “Come sit down, I promise not to torture you with all the details of what happened last night. Namely how you still don’t like my drink choices.”

Iruka snorted as he took a seat on the other end of the couch, he couldn't help but smile as he glanced over to the bookcase. “You really didn’t have to do that.”

“Mah, like I said I was bored and I wasn’t going to leave what with you demanding I stay.”

Iruka groaned, giving the man a sheepish look. “You didn’t have to stay, it was just drunken ramblings.”

Kakashi hummed. “True, but you seemed to want it so I didn’t see any harm in it.”

“Thanks.” Iruka blushed, inwardly cursing his stupid drunken brain that had demanded the man stay in the first place. “I-Uh, look I just wanted.” Iruka moistened his lips before going for broke. “I wanted to apologize.”

“For demanding I don’t cheat? Thank you, because it’s entirely unfair to say my eye is cheating.”

Iruka snorted, shaking his head. “No. Not that, and it is.” He pointed at the man with a smirk. “But that’s not what I was talking about, I-I said something last night...Or at least my drunken haze filled memories seem to say so.”

Kakashi nodded his head, he already knew where this was going but he needed to hear the man out. Know how this was going to play out, lord knew he’d had plenty of time last night to fret over things. He’d even contemplated going to Asuma and Kurenai for advice before shaking the thought, he’d promised to stay after all. But now it was all coming to a head and he was going to find out where they would stand with each other.

“I-I shouldn’t have said that...I mean, it’s-”

“You have a bleeding heart...Ordinarily, that would need to be seen too, not healthy at all.” Kakashi mused aloud before stating. “But it’s not such a bad thing to have...When the blood's not real of course.” Kakashi smiled.

Iruka blinked back at the man in surprise. “Oh...Uh, yes that’s right...I mea-No.” Iruka shook his head when it appeared that Kakashi wasn't understanding. “I shouldn’t have said that to you and I’m sorry if that made you uncomfortable, I was drunk and oddly talkative which is altogether bad now.” Iruka rubbed his forehead even as he mused. “I never knew that would be an issue.” Shaking his head Iruka dropped his hand in order to give Kakashi a solum expression. “I-I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that and it’s not something that you need to be concerned about or-”

“Did your father know about it?”

“Huh?” Iruka was caught off guard by the question.

“The heart, your mother's bleeding heart. Did he know about it or was it just what she said she experienced?” Kakashi questioned curiously.

“Oh.” Iruka frowned a moment as he thought about what he remembered from his parents. Iruka got a wistful expression on his face as he told Kakashi what his father had told him when he was younger. “He said his heart didn’t bleed because she filled the holes, made him whole.”

Kakashi smiled. “I wish I could have known them.”

“Me too.” Iruka smiled softly.

“My heart doesn’t bleed,” Kakashi replied easily to the Chunin. “Never has...Well, other than that one time-Uh-Nevermind.”

Iruka frowned, his eyes going wide when he caught onto what the man had said. “Wait...Your heart bled? Like-”

Kakashi waved his hands at the man. “Ignore that. It’s fine, everything's fine.”

Iruka shook his head and looked about a millisecond away from demanding answers which was what prompted Kakashi to interject before the man could speak. “My heart doesn’t bleed for you, it’s whole.” Swallowing tightly Kakashi replied. “I’ve known you for many years now, you’re my friend and I was content with that. So it’s been whole just having you here.”

Iruka nodded dumbly as he was rejected as he'd expected only to still when he really heard what the man had said about his heart being whole. “Wait.” Iruka frowned. “You feel the same?”

Kakashi shrugged. “Don’t think it’s the same thing cause my heart's not bleeding and all I just think I was ahead of you, I am a genius you know.”

Iruka laughed leaning forward to shove at the man. “Genius my ass.”

Kakashi smiled back at the man who was now more at ease. “So...Can I make your heart stop bleeding?”

Iruka settled back into his seat and nodded subtly. “I think so.” With a smile, the man pointed back at the Jounin. “But no cheating.”

Kakashi held up his hand in a scouts sign. “ I promise, and if you catch me you can give me detention.”

Iruka snorted as he got up from the couch, smirking at the man who was now chuckling at his own corny joke Iruka gestured towards the bookshelf. “So, that’s all organized huh?”

“Yep.” Kakashi was a bit confused as to why they were coming back to the bookshelf after having a more in-depth conversation about what had happened the night before. About how they felt about one another.

“And how long did it take you to do that?”

“Hmm? An hour or two, why?”

Iruka nodded as he walked over to the bookshelf and took in the calculated manner in which Kakashi had organized everything. It was a great organization of all the books, manuals, and scrolls he had. Beautiful really, Iruka twisted about and shrugged. An easy yank of a single hand sent two interior shelves collapsing upon themselves which started a chain reaction sending the majority of the items on the bookshelf cascading to the floor.

Kakashi sat up straight and pouted at all the lost work. “All you had to say was that you didn’t lik-”

“So how long will it take you now?”

Kakashi blinked, looked from Iruka who was smiling to the bookshelf and then back to Iruka. Smirking to the Chunin, Kakashi remarked. “That’s cheating.”

Iruka dusted off his hands as if he’d done a great job. “I never promised not to...Guess you’ll just have to stick around and help me fix it.”

Kakashi got up from the couch and walked over to the bookshelf, taking in the damage and the few remaining shelves that although disheveled were still intact, he reached out and unceremoniously pulled them out sending their contents to the floor as well. Smiling back at Iruka, Kakashi shrugged. “Have to make sure we do a thorough job, when I work I do my best.”

Iruka laughed at the destruction they’d managed to cause on the poor bookshelf and its content. “So...You staying for a bit?” Iruka hesitantly asked.

Kakashi gave a nod. “Gotta make sure that bleeding heart of yours isn’t too serious.”

“Seems serious to me.”

“Might take a while then.”

“Probably.”

Iruka glanced around the room a moment before back at Kakashi. “Breakfast?”

Kakashi smiled. “That will delay the project.” He pointed to the bookshelf.

“Can’t work without food.” Iruka countered.

“True.” Kakashi hummed. “Guess we should, to make sure we do things right.”

“Yeah.” Iruka twisted stepped out of the debris from his bookshelf and walked towards the kitchen. 

Kakashi looked down at everything as Iruka left the room, snatched up a book and asked with a smile in his voice. “Iruka?”

“Hmm?”

“You hate losing stuff right?... Can’t stop searching for stuff until it’s found?”

Iruka laughed from inside the kitchen. “I think that’s a shinobi trait in general why?”

Kakashi stuffed the book in his vest. “Just curious.” Walking towards the man’s kitchen he remarked. “Just gotta make sure we put everything back where it belongs.”

  
  



End file.
